Dog mauls Hannah, 9 on Formby Beach

A NINE-year-old girl was rushed to hospital after being mauled by a dog on Formby Beach.

Hannah Caine was left with 19 punctures to her right leg and foot after being attacked by the animal in the sand dunes near Formby Point.

The youngster, from Houghton near Preston had been enjoying a day out with her grandparents and six-year-old sister Amy when the attack happened.

Hannah’s grandfather, Philip Caine, said: “Hannah was sliding down one of the sand hills when I saw this dog, which I took to be a husky-wolf type of thing come running up the beach. It started attacking Hannah – it really had a hold of her.

“I ran down and tried to fend it off. It was circling round, trying to get to the child, who was, by this time, hysterical and bleeding. She had some deep bites in her right leg.

“It was a vicious and prolonged attack; it still persisted even when I got between them. Formby Beach should be a safer place than that.”

The family raced to Southport Hospital, only to be told they would need to go to the Children’s Accident and Emergency Unit at Ormskirk Hospital for Hannah to be treated.

Philip, of Cleve Way, said: “I persuaded them to let a nurse have a look and assess the injury. She bathed it, cleaned it and put a bandage on it.

“My son came out of work and we took Hannah to Chorley for treatment at their A&E.”

Philip has now called for a first aid or minor injuries unit for children to be put in place at Southport Hospital.

He added: “I was under the impression that when the Children’s A&E was moved to Ormskirk, to placate people who were up in arms about it they promised that they would set up some kind of first aid of minor injuries unit at Southport.